Expanding role of antibodies in kidney transplantation

Figure 1 Mechanisms of antibody-mediated graft injury. The chief target of antibodies consists of vascular endothelial cells. A: Antibodies recognize class I and II human leucocyte antigens (HLA) as foreign and bind to them; B: This antibody binding to donor HLA antigens leads to complement-fixing and generation of anaphylatoxins and assembly of the membrane attack complex; C: Antibodies can also damage the graft tissue by antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity by engaging inflammatory cells. HLA: Human leucocyte antigen. This figure was created by BioRender.com (Supplementary material).